Farming legacy and development stand in the Nansemond River's path

— Phillip Edwards Jr. stands with his back to the Nansemond River, his eyes fixed on a massive combine that cuts a swath of brown earth.

It's early December and his calm demeanor belies an impending sense of urgency. The soybeans before him should have been harvested weeks ago.

If they aren't picked soon they will fall from the vine. It would cost too much money and take too much time to retrieve them. The crop would be lost. So, too, would Edwards' profit.

The combine sputters exhaust as it pivots to spit its load into a truck bed. Edwards springs into action, climbing the bed and leveling a mound of soybeans with outstretched arms. He hops down as the combine pulls away and returns to the field.

"This is farming," he said. "There ain't nothing romantic to it; it's just about loading up and going."

The Nansemond River, like many waterways in the Chesapeake Bay, has a legacy of agriculture. From tobacco to peanuts, its watershed continues to meet the demands placed upon it.

Today that includes not only agriculture, but sanctuaries for rare birds, picturesque homes for the wealthy, hot spots for rockfish anglers and breezes on muggy summer days.

The Nansemond forms in Suffolk, where two small lakes, Meade and Kilby, converge. It twists and turns 23 miles before emptying into the James River west of the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel.

Its story is similar to many local waterways.

Once home to Native Americans, then explored by colonial settlers, the river became part of Virginia's thriving tobacco industry.

A bit player in the Revolutionary War, the river and its largest enclave, Suffolk, came under Union control during the Civil War.

About 50 years later a Pennsylvania man named Amedeo Obici opened a massive peanut processing plant in Suffolk. Nuts from Nansemond farmers soon were shipped around the world under the iconic image of Planter's Mr. Peanut. Meanwhile, the river provided an ample supply of seafood, including oysters, shad and sturgeon.

Much has changed.

Peanuts are no longer the area's dominant crop. Changes to federal legislation during the last 10 years prompted peanut processors to buy from growers in South America and other parts of the world, Edwards said. Hence the soybeans, a product he doesn't eat, and other crops, such as cotton and corn.

The shad and sturgeon have largely vanished — victims of overfishing, pollution and loss of habitat.

And the oyster population hangs by a thread; for example, residents of Hobson, a once thriving oyster community on the river's northern shore, shook their heads when asked recently if they knew anyone still in the trade.

The river, like many in the Chesapeake watershed, is in peril. Toxic chemicals called PCBs reside in its fish, and excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, create algae blooms and dead zones.

The Nansemond's appearance, however, tends to hide its troubles.

A three-hour boat ride in November showed bountiful wetlands, more than 20 species of birds, including several bald eagles, and relatively sparse development.

"This place probably looks a lot like it did 400 years ago," said Bill Portlock, a passenger on the boat, as he watched a flock of bufflehead ducks skit across the river's glassy surface.

Portlock, a senior educator with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said the Nansemond is more rustic than many of it counterparts in Hampton Roads.

In 2000 nearly 65,000 people lived within the Nansemond's watershed, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Warwick River, a slightly smaller tributary of the James, had nearly 113,000 people within its watershed during the same year.

Fertilizer used to color the grass contributes nitrogen and phosphorus to the river.

This type of runoff — from development — is the only growing pollution source in the Chesapeake, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says.

Also, some of the docks are buttressed by bulkheads that prevent wetlands from naturally moving closer to shore, Portlock said. Wetlands are key habitats for fish and birds; they also absorb nutrients and help prevent flooding.

Edwards sees the suburbanization of the Nansemond approaching.

Most of the land he tills, including the soybean field, is bordered by houses. He tries not to disrupt his neighbors. But that's not always easy, he says, especially when filling a tractor-trailer with soybeans.

Edwards knows the EPA believes that agriculture is the leading source of pollution in the Chesapeake. He knows the agency plans to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the bay. He knows this could affect his business.

He rotates his crops. He uses as little fertilizer as possible; this keeps costs down in addition to aiding the Nansemond. He keeps buffers between the fields and roadways to reduce runoff.

"We're trying to do our part," he said as the sun faded behind gray clouds, the precursor to another rainy evening and following day spent wondering if he'll be able to finish the harvest.

Sunday: The James is home to the Army's lone boat fleet Today: The rush to harvest soybeans along the Nansemond Tuesday: Searching for lost crab pots on the York Wednesday: Million-dollar yachts on the Hampton Thursday: Oysters still for sale on the Pagan

Our rivers mean many things to many people — from recreation to livelihood, the rivers of Hampton Roads shape our lives. The Daily Press presents a five-part series examining our rivers — their essential and changing roles in our daily lives, and the steep challenges we face to preserve their vitality.